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UPDATE # 37 - February 9, 1998 PART 1: Ideas for Barbara in space IDEAS FOR BARBARA IN SPACE
By now you probably know that NASA has appointed schoolteacher Barbara Morgan as an astronaut. Soon she'll be joining other newly named astronauts for a full year of training before being assigned to a flight. But when Barbara does fly, it is quite likely that she'll spend a fair amount of her time in space teaching lessons and helping K-12 education. Space Team Online is collecting ideas on what she should do. What should she do while training? What should Barbara do while on-orbit? What about after she returns from space? What material should you have in hand to best take advantage of this exciting adventure? Please take a step back and say to yourself "how could a teacher in space help me teach better and help my kids learn more". And then share your thoughts. As always, we are most interested in what role the Internet could play in all of this, but non-Internet ideas are certainly welcome as well. Lot's of good ideas are being expressed on Quest's discuss list. Please add your insights and ideas. Start at this web page: http://quest/ltc/discussion.html to read what others have said. To send in your idea, address a note to discuss@quest.arc.nasa.gov One disclaimer: At this point, our Quest team doesn't have any official role in Barbara's mission. But I hope that I can gather up your good ideas and give them to Barbara to help her as she sets forth on an exciting path for education. Dive in, Marc [Editor's note: Tony is a Shuttle Flight Controller. Recently he became the Shuttle Electrical Systems group lead. His team is in charge of monitoring: the shuttle fuel cells, which generate electricity, drinking water, and cooling water; the shuttle PRSD (Power Reactant Supply and Distribution) system, which provides oxygen and hydrogen to run the fuel cells and oxygen for the crew to breathe, and the EPDC (Electrical Power Distribution and Control) system, which is the shuttle's "house wiring". Before Tony worked in electrical systems, he worked on Propulsion Systems.] PLANNING FOR A MISSION IS A LARGE PART OF ITS SUCCESS
Tony Ceccacci http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/ceccacci.html Interviewer: Lori Keith January 20, l998 I am the group lead for the Electrical Systems Group. For the STS-89 flight (January 22, 1998), my group and I (flight controllers) supported the flight working mission operations. What this means is that we are in charge of monitoring the electrical systems of the shuttle from liftoff, while it's on orbit, through landing. We have three teams, each working nine hour shifts, to provide 24 hour flight support (we have a 1 hour handover each shift). To prepare for actual mission support, between flights, we work simulations, where we pretend we are really up in space. The main goal of the simulations is to train the shuttle crew and us. During these practice sessions, failures are put in that we must deal with, and be able to fix. This is to prepare us for the real thing. We work lots of simulations to prepare us should there be any problems during the real mission. We have to think about all the different failures that would impact us. Our number one job is crew and vehicle safety, followed by completing mission objectives. We interface with other people on site, all the engineering guys, Kennedy Space Center, Marshall Space Center, program offices, and many of the contractors at USA, Boeing, and Palmdale. We all exchange information. We have to talk to these different people because that's how we make sure our job gets done the best it can. One of the neat things about this job is that every day you learn something new, and if you don't it's your own fault. The day before the launch is designated as L-1 Day, which means launch minus one day. During L-1 Day, the ascent team will discuss the expected weather, what parts were replaced on the vehicle, and possible problems. The Cape (KSC) guys, us, the crew and folks at the different landing sites are included in the discussion. The different landing sites are required in case an abort is required. An abort is initiated if during ascent there is a performance problem, like a main engine going out, or there are systems problems that can't be repaired. The abort sites available include RTLS (Return to Launch Site) which is located at KSC and TAL sites (Trans-Atlantic Landing) which are located in Zaragoza, Moron and Ben Guerir, Spain. These sites have to be used because at different points of the trajectory during ascent you can't come home, so to speak. For the first four minutes after take off, you can return home RTLS. After that time, the vehicle has too much energy to come straight back to Kennedy Space Center (and not enough to go into space). So it has to land at one of the TAL sites. Performance (or energy) is what allows you to get to and stay in space. The shuttle has to be going 17,000 mph at MECO (Main Engine cutoff) to get into space. With systems problems, other protocols (or scheduled ways of doing things) are used. AOA is Abort Once Around, and that means the shuttle orbits the Earth one time before returning to KSC or Edwards Air Force Base. ATO is Abort to Orbit, which usually means the vehicle orbits Earth three times before returning. These are used when there are failures that may not be serious enough to come home right away, but are serious enough to be checked out before committing any additional failures in space. In ascent, everything happens quickly, so there are lots of predetermined guidelines. If failure occurs during orbit, there's usually more time to discuss, plan and fix the failure. Landing is not as dynamic as ascent, yet there are still many things going on. During the mission, we also have a set of flight rules. These are guidelines to be followed for the safe performance of the shuttle mission. These flight rules are used by everyone making decisions concerning the mission. These rules are used to determine if we're go for launch, and if there is a failure, how we'll handle it. Each flight also has its own rules, which depend on the mission objectives and goals. Some standard guidelines are that: the shuttle should not go through rain, as damage to the protective tiles could occur; or land in crosswinds, tailwinds, or headwinds over a certain speed, as this could damage the landing gear. Planning for a mission is a large part of its success. So is good communication. Really there are no individual projects around here, because almost everything is a huge team effort. Even with all this preparation, it can still be scary when there is a problem. Usually, it doesn't hit you until after the fact. We are conditioned to react and think about it and to keep going calmly. [Editor's note: Bill is a manager for a group of propulsion and fluid systems engineers. These people help design, build, and test many of the rocket engines, valves, and propellant tanks on the Space Shuttle Orbiter vehicles. Also Bill's group is looking at new rocket engines and propulsion system ideas that will help us return to the moon and even travel to Mars.] MAKING THINGS FROM MARTIAN MATERIALS
Bill Boyd http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/team/boyd.html Interviewer: Lori Keith January 30, l998 On Earth, we use many of our resources, like mining ore or making chemicals. We use the things we have where we are at today. This becomes extremely important to Mars and Lunar missions, where the astronauts must carry everything they will need, including water, breathable air, and rocket propellant. Not only are these things heavy in weight, but they are expendable items constantly being used, needing replacement. The Energy Systems Division, where I work, has started a new initiative called In-Situ Resource Utilization, or ISRU for short. The Johnson Space Center is doing ground breaking work in this area. We are encountering lots of problems (which makes it fun), as well as lots of questions (which generate more questions). It is an exciting time. For instance, the Lunar Prospector is looking for ice on the moon, which, if found, means that there is water on the moon. If this is the case, we can use the moon as a stepping stone to Mars. Ice can be gathered to make water, which is a resource you can do a lot with. Water can be used for water (cleaned for drinking), or to plant things in space. It can also be broken into hydrogen and oxygen - using the oxygen to breathe and the hydrogen as propellant for rocket engines. Our involvement, though not directly connected with the Lunar Prospector, is to help with the implementation of ISRU on Mars. The atmosphere on Mars is primarily made of carbon dioxide (CO2). We, as engineers, must figure out how to use, how to gather, and how to condition these resources for our purposes. Our job is to understand what our users will need and provide the means and equipment to develop what is needed. ISRU is an important new area, because it costs a lot to carry these items. Food, clothing, oxygen, etc. - every pound of mass lifted off from Earth equals one less pound of scientific equipment included. Our goal is to try to make what we can and what we need on the surface (of the moon or Mars), developing systems to convert the natural resources of these planets. We are working on a piece of equipment, to be about the size of a refrigerator, that will act as a chemical plant. For example, on the moon, this chemical plant will sit on the surface of the moon next to an ice field. It will take in the ice and will have valves that allow the different things the users need to be released after conversion, like breathable oxygen, water, hydrogen, and liquid oxygen (a cryogenic). Mars can be lived on, if its resources can be converted. Turning CO2 into oxygen is actually pretty simple. The CO2 is passed through a catalyst (like a porous sponge). During this process, a chemical reaction takes place - one oxygen molecule will strip off, breaking down into oxygen (O) and carbon monoxide (CO). They are separated through temperature changes, as both have different liquefying temperatures. The oxygen is stored and the carbon monoxide is either released back into the Mars atmosphere, or can be used to make other needed fluids, such as methane rocket propellant. There are lots of options to make this work; some are more complex, work better, are cheaper, or are more reliable. We look at all the research concerning the chemical properties involved, including research from the chemical industry and from universities. The conversion plant needs to be reliable, inexpensive, and work robustly, yet at the same time, be simple. It is better to build something with five parts as opposed to 500 parts, especially if something breaks. Simplicity usually equals reliability, and reliability is equal to having the confidence that it will meet our mission requirements. Of course, safety is the number one thing everyone worries about. We want no mishaps or loss of life. One of our biggest problems right now is that there is a lot of dust on Mars and mechanical devices don't like dust. So our chemical plant won't like the frequent dust storms on Mars. Our goal is to figure out how to prevent dust from getting on the equipment, filter the dust out, and/or make it less susceptible to the effects of the dust. To do this we must know how big the dust particles are, and what they are made of - ore, silica, or something else. We must also try to simulate the same environmental condition of Mars to test our prototype equipment in. After building the prototype, it will be put in a big room or chamber where we will have created a Mars environment with CO2 and dust. The ultimate goal is a 500 day run in the chamber - running as if it were on Mars making oxygen. To gain confidence in its reliability, we will monitor how much power it uses and how much oxygen it makes. The next planned spaceship to land on Mars will be in the year 2001. The findings from this mission will either confirm our findings or change our plans. As we cannot always work using a sequence of events, we often must use theories and work in parallel with other events, without the benefit of their findings. Working on theory, if you have good theorists and good implementation, you are ahead of the game; if you learn something from actual mission findings that contradicts your theory, you redesign and retest. In the last couple of decades, we have discovered the benefits of recycling and the wise use of our resources on Earth. We can just imagine how much better off we would be today if we had started recycling sooner. As we make our plans for the exploration of space, we know that effective resource utilization could be the thing that really makes it happen. STATUS OF COLUMBIA PROCESSING
Below, we'll provide some details about the post flight work being done after STS-87 and the subsequent processing of Columbia as it prepares to fly again as STS-90. These reports will contain jargon and unfamiliar terms; our intent is not to confuse you, but to provide a glimpse at all the steps involved. Detailed daily reports about Columbia's processing can be found at the NASA Shuttle Status web site at http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/status.htm The following items were completed: - replacement of a relief valve on auxiliary power unit No. 2 - water spray boiler checkout - leak checks on the Spacelab water line - work on payload bay flood light No. 3 - polishing of Columbia's windows - airlock ducting reconfiguration Tunnel adapter flow rate leak testing is in work . Columbia's payload premate test began February 3 and Neurolab plans called for an installation of the payload canister Feb. 4. The canister is currently scheduled to arrive at OPF 3 early Feb. 9 from the Operations and Checkout Building. Installation of Columbia's airlock hatch "D" is complete. The hatch provides access from the tunnel adapter to the Spacelab transfer tunnel. Work is under way to install new bushings on the main engine heat shields. Inspections of micrometeorite hit on an orbiter radiator took place. Checks on the orbiter's environmental control and life support system are complete. Aft compartment closeouts and payload premate testing continue. No work was planned for the weekend which just passed. STS-90 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only): - Payload installed into orbiter (Feb. 11) - Shuttle main engine heat shield installation begins (Feb. 11) - Shuttle main engine installation complete (Feb. 12)
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